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BLM prescribed fires proposed for fall in Moffat County

Craig Daily Press Staff Report

The Bureau of Land Management’s Little Snake and White River field offices are planning several prescribed fires this fall on BLM land, according to a BLM news release.

The fires are scheduled to take place between now and the end of October, the BLM reported

Prescribed fires are conducted if weather conditions are favorable.



The prescribed fires are:

• Deer Valley: The fire will be located two miles south of Greystone and three miles east of Dinosaur National Monument.



The project size is 63 acres and the objectives are to reduce hazardous and accumulated dead material.

“This will lessen the chance of intense wildland fires that could threaten residences on Douglas Mountain and in Greystone,” the BLM stated in the release. “It will also improve overall forest health, and promote the growth of grasses and forbs for wildlife by removing sagebrush.”

The Deer Valley fire is anticipated to take up to two days, excluding Oct. 1 through 11.

• Rocky Reservoir: The fire will be located in the northwest corner of Moffat County, three miles south of the Wyoming border and seven miles east of the Utah border.

The 18-acre burn is expected to last up to two days, excluding Oct. 1 through 11.

The objective is to reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health.

• Jack Springs II: The fire will be east of Dinosaur National Monument in the Jack Springs Draw area.

“The objective is to reduce hazardous fuels and lessen the threat of wildland fire to area residents,” the BLM reported. “It will also improve wildlife habitat and ecosystem diversity.”

The 221-acre burn is expected to require up to three days to complete.

• Badger Flats: The 556-acre project is 15 miles west of Elk Springs and one mile south of Dinosaur National Monument in Moffat County.

Federal fire managers expect up to three days for completion of the project.

The objective is to restore habitat for Northern Sage Grouse by reducing the encroachment of pinion and juniper trees into sagebrush communities, and reducing the amount of live and dead vegetation which will lower fire intensity in the event of a wildland fire.

Each prescribed burn has a detailed fire plan developed in advance, along with appropriate smoke permits issued by the state, the BLM reported.

The burns will only be initiated if conditions are ideal for safe and effective fires, according to the release.

For more information, call the White River Field Office at 878-3800.

Also, federal fire officials announced Wednesday they are planning an 800-acre prescribed burn this fall on White River National Forest lands near Aldrich Lakes and adjoining private lands in Rio Blanco County, about 19 miles northeast of Meeker and 19 miles south of Craig.

The burn is designed to improve wildlife habitat and decrease the amount of fuel that has built-up in the area by targeting oak brush and mountain shrubs, according to a news release.

The burn could take place later this month or sometime next month, depending on the weather.


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